Have you been approached by media producers about making a “dark” furry docu-series?
by Patch O'Furr
NOTE: article topic is not to be confused with inside fandom-made documentaries. Please send confidential tips to: patch.ofurr@gmail.com
In June, Dogpatch Press was approached by a company “developing a documentary that takes place in the world of furries.” True-crime was mentioned. This is something that Dogpatch Press covers — and isn’t a bad thing to ask, by itself.
Whenever media producers make contact, first they are checked to see if they’re real people with a history of solid work. If they are, they may get cooperation and support. I had already checked this company before they contacted me (with advance notice from others they contacted) and got a middling impression. Making some innocuous airtime filler isn’t so bad, because work is work.
I told them: “One long lasting annoyance about furries as a group is their dogma against “the media,” as if Fox News and PBS are the same thing. Actually I started my news site to push back on that. But I will be picky on what outlets I talk to, and look at their work before considering it.”
Then I gave an opinion that their proposed topic had low chances to get fandom cooperation — and got no further reply.
This September I was surprised to hear about more furries being approached by the same company. Here’s a snippet:
Now the proposal has increased from a single documentary, to a docu-series with “darker stories”. A story per episode might mean approaching many people.
Again it’s not bad to look at true-crime or darker stories — by itself — if the approach is good. But the new approach I was shown? It asks about a specific person, and their story has previously gotten careful consideration and doesn’t meet the standards of Dogpatch Press.
This site won’t blast out a name that isn’t newsworthy for much more than mental illness symptoms. A name whose brief connection to a major news story was cleared by police. If this was a serious approach, producers would already know it’s questionable to connect the name. It also risks some big ethical concerns about putting a private person in a spotlight.
The persistent but questionable approaching now makes me ask:
Has anyone else been approached by a production company? Please tip: patch.ofurr@gmail.com.
I’m being charitable in not publishing the company, their ideas, or names right now. That’s on the chance that these are innocuous or contracted people — and let’s avoid connecting opportunists to them if the motives aren’t good. (Bad interviews come to mind.)
I’m also keeping this vague in order to point out some possible suspicions, on the chance that they aren’t true.
It hasn’t been very long since another producer wanted to get inside the furry fandom.
Read on, then ask: can you trust ANY producer whose motives aren’t clear?
Suspicions and high alert
In February 2023, Dogpatch Press posted an alert: Furries warn each other about casting call for “Life As a Furry” TV show.
The story featured a separate producer, and pointed out red flags. Most alarmingly, he went on a podcast that hosted Republican strategist, insurrectionist and convicted criminal Roger Stone, AKA Satan. If you don’t live under a rock, you’ll know how right-wing sources (it is ALWAYS right-wing) keep lying about “furry kids demanding litter boxes in schools.” It’s part of a larger wave of bigotry. They refuse to stop spreading the lie because it riles up gullible voters. These liars will exploit without remorse, and must be guarded against if this community claims to care about its members who face the attacks. That’s why even a whiff of being close to Roger Stone puts a media producer under scrutiny. He chose to go on the podcast – his fault.
The producer was upset. Requests to take the story down were refused so the community could decide for itself what to trust.
From the communications I got, I sensed production money was invested by someone who may not give up that easily.
Which brings us to the current producer approaches.
Hollywood writer’s strike and unscripted programming
The February story Furries warn each other about casting call for “Life As a Furry” TV show concerned a proposed reality show. It has no obvious connection to the producers who approached me in June… However, their company social media posted a video of them attending a Netflix reality show exhibition a week before June. The writer’s strike in Hollywood made reality and unscripted programming much more in demand, while getting work has been hard. Hmm.
In an older interview, the February producer claimed he was behind 30-40 shows in production, but oddly almost none were publicly credited. Huh.
Put this all together and follow the money. Are there bad intentions towards this community following waves of “litter box” fake news?
Or is it just ordinary business, and how trustable is that even if there’s nothing else going on behind this docu-series?
Your history
In the history of furries in the media, some media has a lot of bad behavior to answer for. But don’t get me wrong… this point is coming from someone who made a news site to cover things that deserve more attention. It offers access to good faith media who can apply professional resources and the will to air things the community suppresses. That’s also a big problem. Ignorance and suppression brings private tips here all the time from people who can’t speak openly, for the same reasons whistleblowers are harmed anywhere. Don’t hate “the media”, because knowledge is power.
Public interest reporting is welcome here, bad faith is not.
UPDATE from Gamepopper in the UK – another effort by media producers there.
“Hello Patch,
I saw your recent post and thought I’d share this with you. Back in August, I got a message on my Facebook from a producer/journalist who wanted to do a documentary about “what being a furry really means, dispel any misconceptions, and create an accurate picture about the furry community”.
They didn’t provide any info on who they worked for, and when I sent a text response asking about what misconceptions they intended to discuss, they were insistent on talking over the phone. Was a little suspicious, so I looked them up, and it turns out they work for TalkTV.
TalkTV is a right-wing British free-to-air opinion-orientated television and radio channel owned and operated by News UK, owned/operated by Rupert Murdoch (also behind Fox News, for reference). The channel is currently best known for having Piers Morgan as one of its hosts.
Already made a warning to furmeet organisers in the UK, and although I’ve not heard anything since then, it could be possible they’re still trying to get British furries in particular involved in the project.
Hope this is useful.
Regards,
Gamepopper”
Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon. Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)
On October 27 1996 the NY Times ran a brief item about furries, possibly one of the very first mainstream pieces about us, including a photo of “AJ Skunk.” A few weeks later an item about a cartoon series referred to its cast of “furries and scalies.”
Curious, I tracked the writer down, a fellow named Rich Brown (“is that your name or the color of your pelt?” I asked) to see how he found out about us. Don’t recall his answer, but later he invited me to appear on an MTV show called “Oddville,” which I obviously turned down (even though he promised me the show would not mock its guests).
Then about two years ago I heard from him again, suggesting I try out for a new version of “You Bet Your Life” via Zoom interview. The woman conducting the audition kept encouraging me to go over the top & act like a hyper idiot/ninny furry. I didn’t pass the audition of course, I guess I couldn’t make as big a moron of myself as they wanted.
Anyway, if any of you hear from a “Rich Brown,” encouraging you to appear on any kind of TV show/podcast, please tell him to go fuck himself.
I remember finding that NY Times mention deep in archives not too long ago!
I think Wired was one of the most early and most clued in to furries before others, I believe they covered MUCKs in the early 90’s and it was pretty good.